Welcome to my blog. I have had ALS for 10 years now.

Since I started this blog in June 2008 I've had amazing feedback. Family, friends, people from all over North America, Australia, Scotland, England, and places I can't recall, have commented, encouraged and corresponded. I had no idea when Cynthia taught me how to set this up, how much I would love posting and how many people would read it. I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who has helped propel this therapeutic exercise into a daily routine. All of you, both friends and visitors, are now part of my blog family. Welcome.

Hope Is The Thing With Feathers

Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all, And sweetest in the gale is heard; And sore must be the storm That could abash the little bird That kept so many warm. I’ve heard it in the chillest land, And on the strangest sea; Yet, never, in extremity, It asked a crumb of me.

What you staring at?

Favorite Quotes

"While we have the gift of life, it seems to me that the only tragedy is to allow part of us to die - whether it is our spirit, our creativity, or our glorious uniqueness." Gilda Radner

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"The nice part about living in a small town; When you don't know what you're doing someone else does." Author: Unknown

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”Charles Darwin

Oh, my friend, it's not what they take away from you that counts. It's what you do with what you have left. ~Hubert Humphrey

Simple pleasures

OOPS!!

1951

Isn't she the cutest?

Trust? or Stupidity?

Don't put rawhide in your pocket

Falling down is the easy part. How do I get back to my warm cozy nest?

Thank you

I want to thank all my friends who have helped my blog by providing pictures, ideas, cartoons, music and references. Whenever you see a cute/interesting picture and send it to me, I tuck it in my blog folder and make up a caption for it.

I love having you as part of my creations.

I also want to thank, once again, all those who continue to help me battle ALS. Your visits, e-mails, cards, work tasks, shopping, phone calls, dinners, etc., etc., increase my smiles and reduce my tears.

About Me

I'm a retired teacher who was diagnosed with ALS during the summer of 2007. However, symptoms were evident from 2004. Presently, I'm in a wheel chair 24/7 and am slowly losing my speech. Although the disease has become more and more frustrating I've been able to keep my spirits up and enjoy almost every day.
I love my apartment with it's gorgeous views and close proximity to shops. It was a smart move from my house on Burnaby Mountain.
Care workers, family, and friends have been terrific at helping me traverse down this winding ALS road filled with challenges.

Faces & facts of ALS

Living With ALS

"Hope, faith, love, and a strong will to live offer no promise of immortality, only proof of our uniqueness as human beings, and the opportunity to experience full growth, even under the grimmest circumstances. The clock provides only a technical measure of how long we live. Far more real than the ticking of time is the way we open up the minutes and invest them with meaning. Death is not the ultimate tragedy in life."

(from Living With ALS)

I'm not going to the vet!

If you're going to do something--do it well.

View from my old home--so many great memories

Click on me.

Click on me

My Charlie Brown tree is up and sparkling

Please shut-up!

Wherever you end up in life--hang on.

Before the snow

It's cold outside so keep on dancing

There are some things you can't fight.

Am I cute or what?

Say cheese

Get a coat like this for the cold winter expected.

Always hold your head high and be proud of who you've become (photo by Libby)

Books

A Wolf At the Table, a memoir by Augusten Burroughs

Don't bug me, I'm solving the world's problems.

Yikes!

Never look in the mirror before the first coffee.

harmony

Fuzzy friends

What we do for love!

Love thy neighbour

Aaah--nothing better than a back scratch

Striving has reward

Some things are timeless

We are family

You can make it when you have supporters

It's not tasty--but my owner is proud

Don't laugh or I'll post a picture of YOU in the bath.

Put'm up fuzzy

Click on cat

Who needs a Nanny?

Never feel insignificant

Wear shoes that get attention

I wonder if humans have feelings?

How come we don't have a reality show?

I'll play you a song. Click on my picture.

I'm on my way again

Go Canada Go!

Silly as usual

O.K., O.K., I'm really sorry

If we could only accept differences like she did

I love you too.

Too cute.

Click image for hockey song

My new hockey jersey

Freedom is what you feel

Why do I always end up in the middle of things?

Home is where you make it

In my day we walked 7 miles to school and rode our horses to McDonalds